How do I start? I would like something inexpensive in case I can’t handle it.
Is this easier or harder than a recorder?
Is there any kind that is easier than others?
Anything I should avoid? (Too late, I’m gonna start.)
Is there a whistle that is in “C” like a piano so I can do the same music as a keyboard?
Where can I find beginner’s music?
“Fingering charts”?
Thanx, Wes.
This one is easy. . .here we go. . .
How do you start? Call your local music store and ask if they have a penny/tin whistle with a tutorial book. Go and get it. If they don’t, try the WhistleShop online. Clarke Tinwhistle with its accompanying little black book is a good start.
Is it inexpensive? Yes. You can get your first whistle, with a tutorial, for under $20, if I recall. It has finger charts, some have tapes (I would recommend you get a whistle with tutorial and tape), they have basic music.
After you’ve got that under your belt, we’ll give you LOTS of places to get music.
Is it easier than a recorder? I personally think so. Fewer holes at least. You can get a C whistle, but getting a D whistle is preferred. There is a lot of music out there written in D and G that is VERY easy to read.
On 2002-01-16 14:29, wesdindm wrote:
How do I start?
(1) pick it up and blow
(2) realize you don’t like how that sounds
(3) listen to some good music for inspiration
(4) find a traditional musician to learn from (first choice) or pick out one of the tutors to begin with. Make sure it comes with a CD or cassette so you can listen to what you are playing sounds like. The one’s I’ve know are decent are:
Geraldine Cotter’s
Cathal McConnell’s (the one with 3 cassettes not 1 CD which cheats you out of lots of good stuff)
I have heard very good things about the L.E. McCullough Video Tape, the new Bill Ochs book & CD, and the Brian Finnegan MadforTrad CD-Rom there are several tutorials on the net that give you some nice things to work on.
I also started with Scoiltrad.com recently (with advanced lessons). Conal O’Grada has some nice beginners tunes. They are a bit pricy compared to other tutors (1 tune - $30; current special 2 for 1). But the feedback is the next best thing to having a world class tutor in you home.
Also dont confuse tune collections for tutors. Tune collections just have tunes. You have to know what to do with them first.
I would like something inexpensive in case I can’t handle it. Is there any kind that is easier than others?
the Clarke Sweetone is a pretty good first choice and one of the most recommended for beginners. If you don’t like having a not-so-smooth metal edge under your thumb, pick one of the cylindrical models that are available. I like Walton’s and Clare. Other’s hate them. (Generations can be good, but you need to buy 10 or so to get a good one, so why not buy a hoover or burke or silkstone or dixon mid-ranged whistle for the same money and get some customer service for the same price)
Is this easier or harder than a recorder?
I don’t know about recorders, but the whistle is fairly basic to learn the basics, but I am still challanged in trying to master this little tube-beast.
Anything I should avoid? (Too late, I’m gonna start.)
I hear bad things about Mel-Bay whistles. I started on a lovely Oak whistle but many beginners find that the breath sensitivity is too delicate to start on. I had no reservations or regrets, but I’m not making a recomendation.
Is there a whistle that is in “C” like a piano so I can do the same music as a keyboard?
Many manufacturers make C whistles, the D is most common. C whistles let you play in the keys of C major and F major and their relative minors. You’d have to know what music you want if it is in those keys. If you want Irish traditional music, you want a D whistle (a whistle has holes, not black and white keys. F# and C# are just regular holes on the whistle; nothing special). Most of the music for Irish traditional falls into the scales of D major and G major (dorian, ionian, aeolian, and mixolidian modes all have a place in Irish traditional music, but thinking about it just gets in the way of the music if you are not playing accompanyment).
Where can I find beginner’s music?
In the tutors, unless you want some music other than Irish traditional. Then I don’t know where you go from there. There are plenty of tune sources on the internet. The Waltons 110 best loved tinwhistle tunes (book and 2 CD set) has a beginning part that has some very simple beginner melodies. They are very easy to pick up by ear. If I were advising someone to learn by ear (which I am) I’d say start there. The first dozen or so tunes are played at a slow tempo, and the melodies are not very long; fewer than the more common 32 measures (64 since each part is usually repeated) for the A and B parts of most dance tunes. Also, let your ears tell you how the rhythm goes, not the ink on the paper. As a beginner, learning traditional music from paper is like trying to read a novel without verbs. It just doesn’t feel right.
“Fingering charts”?
http://www.stainedglass.org/other_pages/tinwhistle/whistle_main.html
Note: In the post below, Joeln uses the correct name for the Bill Ochs tutor.
[ This Message was edited by: Mark_J on 2002-01-16 15:44 ]
I’m fairly new here, but I’ll put in a plug for the clarke tinwhistle handbook. It comes with a tape or cd which is good since I learn mostly by ear. The tape is available for either c or d whistle (cd is d only) if you have a preference. They even sell sets with the whistle included - $24.95.
http://www.pennywhistle.com/clarkepage.html
This set got me going when another tutorial book alone just stumped me. I’ve enjoyed learning the tunes and after a year theres still plenty in the book thats beyond my ability. - Joel
How to start eh?
Just buy any old cheapie … better still get a couple of different ones. A SweetTone, a Clarke original, a Generation, anything from your local music shop will be fine to get started.
Buy a D rather than a C. You won’t regret it. Most music available for whistles is in D and most other players will play a D.
If you’re not much of a music reader you might like to start trying to figure out a few tunes by ear. You’ll want to learn to read music too, but if you’re not very good at it you can have lot’s of fun playing by ear until your reading gets better. Any tunes. Sit down and try to figure out Mary had a Little Lamb, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday. It’s fun even when the tunes are childish, and many folk tunes are no more complicated than the simple nursery rhymes.